National Lottery Commerical Angers Bingo Association

12 March 2008

The UK's Bingo Association is unhappy with a National Lottery commercial that depicts an elderly woman being whisked away by a scratchcard from a dreary padlocked bingo hall to a sunny beach-front paradise.

Bingo Association chief executive Paul Taboys says the National Lottery's ad for Flamin' Hot Bingo scratchcards is "deeply offensive", coming at a time when many bingo halls risk closure from revenue losses caused by the smoking ban.